Have a brick wall in your research? Would you like a greater understanding of some aspect of your research? The Genealogy Center is offering 30-minute personal research consultations with a staff member on some troublesome aspect of your research from 2PM to 4PM on Thursday, May 18, 2017 and Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info for an appointment, requesting a Consultation and providing basic information concerning the nature of your quandary. A staff member will be assigned and a time established for your consultation. Be sure to bring your research notes to your consultation. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Register today! To register, call 260-421-1225 or send us an email.

World War II was a desperate time for Europe’s Jews, with millions slaughtered in the Holocaust and more fleeing the Nazi death machine, resulting in the wholesale disappearance of Jewish communities. After the war, the dispersed survivors created Memorial (Yizkor) books to commemorate these lost communities and their residents. The original volumes were in Yiddish, and The Genealogy Center has had a collection of these Yizkor Books for many years.

JewishGen has undertaken the Yizkor Book Project to republish 800 of these volumes with added translations for ease of use. The Genealogy Center has recently acquired the first 52 of these newly published resources. Read more about the project and come in to take advantage of these wonderful sources.

Congregation Achduth Vesholom, has also created the Madge Rothschild Resource Center at 5200 Old Mill Road in Fort Wayne, with their Grand Opening scheduled for Sunday April 30, 2017. Join them for an Open House at 2:30 p.m., and keynote speaker, author David Laskin on “One Family, Three Journeys: How One Family Embodied The Sweep Of 20th Century Jewish History,” at 4 p.m. Laskin's family's journey began with a Torah scribe and his family in Russia 150 years ago. Events around the family scattered them to America, to Palestine and into Germany to to fall prey to the Holocaust. Join them for this inspiring lecture!

Golden Moments of Hoosier History by Milford E. Anness was published in 1966 for the Sesquicentennial of Indiana’s statehood. The sixteen page booklet highlights some more unusual bits of Indiana’s history, such as information on the utopian community of New Harmony, the lyrics of “Naptown,” a song in praise of Indianapolis, and closes with William Miller’s poem “Ain’t God Good to Indiana.”

The 98-page booklet Indiana Basketball Handbook, 1975-76 really touches on what’s important in Indiana. Produced by Citizens National Bank of Columbia City, this item contains the basketball out look for Indiana for the 1975-1976 season with high school and college game schedules, tournaments, All-Stars for Indiana and Kentucky, photos of players and general information on and sections on the ABA and NBA.

Tippecanoe was published by the Tippecanoe Sesquicentennial Committee in Battleground in 1961, and includes fictionalized accounts of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811.

Hope, Indiana has a rich history dating back to 1830, when the Moravians settled in the northeastern corner of Bartholomew County. In 1975, the Yellow Trail Museum opened. This museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the town's history for the public. Forty years after opening, the facility has expanded with a bigger showroom and is currently developing a genealogy research room to focus on the local history and families. Although the new research room won't open until mid-2017, some old Church Records are being preserved and made available to the public via the Allen County Public Library's Genealogy Center website, including Clifford Christian Church, covering 1897 to 1982, and Hawcreek Baptist Church Records, covering 1830 to 1920,

Maria Creek Baptist Church in Knox County Indiana, was founded in 1809 and abandoned in 1947, although former members returned for annual meetings for about a decade. In 1963 the building was relocated to the campus of Vincennes University to serve as an interdenominational chapel. This booklet recounts a brief history of the congregation.

William M. Williams supplied his Richland Christian Church, Record Book 1825-1875, Monroe County, Indiana. This item provides a list of members from 1864 to 1975 and Mr. Williams also compiled an every name index to this handwritten document.

The Spencerville High School, Beacon, 1942 from DeKalb County, Indiana, was published by the Senior Class and is dedicated for former Spencerville students away in the war. It includes individual photos of the seniors, class photos of grades 1 through 11, staff, activities, and an alumni roll from 1909 to 1940.

We have images of W.A. Clarke’s V-Mail from Europe in 1945 to his family in Crown Point, New York. We have records for Allen Henry Wisely and Walter Wisely, of Fort Wayne, both in the US Navy in World War II. The records were scanned by family friend and Genealogy Center volunteer, Don Weber, and contain photographs, Christmas and post cards and clippings.

Ornell Stauffer, US Army Air Corps, was a hero in World War II. This Hoosier was shot down over Japan in 1944 in his plane. “Calamity Sue,” named for his baby daughter. His widow and daughter finally received his medals in 2015.

We have a history of the 3rd and 14th Field Hospital in the Korean War. Besides a history of the combined units, there are photographs of the officers and enlisted personnel.

Donald G. Allen of Bedford, Indiana served in the United States Navy from 1951-1955. He was a fire control technician third class on the battleship USS Wisconsin and saw combat in the Korean War. Sara Allen donated his photograph collection from his time in service, including other service members at work or play and visitors to the ship.

Finally, we have various military records of our fabulous volunteer, Don Weber, who served in the US Navy during peacetime. These documents include ID cards, evaluations, shore patrol assignments, examinations and much more. Don also provided the World War II records of his father George Anthony Weber, who served with the US Army in Europe. These records include his discharge, ration cards, Christmas cards, post newsletters, post cards, and letters. One photo, shown here, is of George holding hands with his young son, Don, all dressed up in his miniature uniform. It’s a beautiful family moment!

Dennis McClurg donated his Massey Osborne and Runnymede Farm which deals with Massey Osborne who married first Hugh Ferguson then William Castleman, and the farm (house pictured below) located in what is now Frederick County, Virginia. Dennis has also donated his Eleanor Harbin (1736-1840): Woman of the American Revolution. Eleanor was born in 1736 and married William Triplett in 1757. He died in 1782. Her husband and at least three sons fought in the American Revolution and she supplied more than a thousand pounds of beef to the North Carolina Militia.

Luigi Castiglione: L’uomo di Pazienza was written by Louis Luardo Castiglione about the Luigi and Maria Castiglione family of Italy and Pennsylvania and New York, and adds memories concerning family and neighbors. We also have Ancestors of Dahlia Marguerite Helm and Louis L. Castilian by Louis Castilian includes information on the Castiglione, Helm, Stockton and Rodes families, as well as a transcription on the diary of Margaret Norman Miller of Walthourville, Georgia as General Sherman’s troops marched through her village in 1864.

In 1976, Robert W. Marhenke (1931 - 2014) of Lincoln, Nebraska received a letter from his young son asking him about his ancestors and grandfather. This began a 40-year project of researching his family's history, leading from Germany in the 1700s to various states in the USA today, including Indiana, Illinois, and Nebraska. Found here are the records, notes, documents, and photos he accumulated during his search, as well as information on intermarried families. The Marhenke Collection was brought to us through Mr. Dan Replogle, who took care of the collection after Mr. Marhenke's passing. Mr. Replogle connected with Mr. Marhenke while researching his own ancestor, Frederich Marhanka (relationship unconfirmed).

The correspondence, affidavit and summary of Eliphalet Patee’s Revolutionary War service from Massachusetts includes various documents testifying to his service in the 1830s and several inquiries as on that service in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
The file for Edmond Pattee, 7th Massachusetts includes service record, affidavits, widow’s record, and the family Bible.

Sara Allen generously donated War of 1812 records for Jacob Graves, Tennessee Militia. Jacob was born about 1780 in Virginia or North Carolina. He was married to Catherine "Caty" Black on November 17, 1809 in Sumner County, Tennessee. He enlisted in the War of 1812 on November 13, 1814 and was discharged on May 13, 1815, serving in Capt. Neal's Company Tennessee Militia. He died in February of 1838 in Sumner County, and according to family legend is buried in an unmarked grave in Clark-Mandrell Cemetery on Clark Hollow Road. His presumed brother William Graves also served in the War of 1812 from Sumner County, and another presumed brother Frederick Graves served from Allen County, Kentucky.

Sara Also donated War of 1812 records for James Willison, New York Militia. James was born Nov. 10, 1790 in New York State and died Sept. 9, 1866 in Barry County, Michigan. He was married twice, first to Betsy Williams around 1810 in NY, and second, after Betsy's death, to Margaret Borthwick on June 5, 1825 in Allegany County, NY. James enlisted in the War of 1812 and served with Capt. James Mack's Company of New York Militia. His second wife Margaret applied for a widow's pension after his death.

We have also posted War of 1812 Pension Records for Jeremiah Slaughter. Jeremiah served in Captain Luther Leonard’s Company of Ohio Militia and received his pension in 1871. Thomas Patten was a midshipman in the War of 1812 on the ships General Pike and the Superior. He applied for bounty land in 1855 and for a pension in 1871. The records posted on our website include his service record, affidavits of service and various correspondence.

John Archer served in the 32nd Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. We have his volunteer enlistment record, prisoner of war memorandum, service and pension records, discharge paper, and a photo, seen here, of John and his second wife, Katherine. The records for Aaron Hull, 119th U.S. Colored Troops, includes his pension, widow’s and minor children’s pension records, and proofs of marriage. Records for Johnson Merritt, 117th U.S. Colored Troops, include service and pension records, a history of his disability, various affidavits and widow’s pension records.

William Hinkle served in the 44th Indiana, the 152nd Pennsylvania and the 26th Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The documents we have for him contain discharge records from all three regiments, his journal and some letters.

We have Civil War records for several members of the Treece family. Records for Isaac Treece, 9th Michigan Infantry consist of his pension file including the questionnaire and various affidavits. The records for Joab Treece, 31st Illinois Infantry, offer pension records, including a declaration for children, marriage record and family Bible. And the records for John Treece, 38th Indiana Infantry, include his pension records, marriage and death records.

We will start off with Barbier Family Ancestry, but there’s so much more than just the family of Jacque (Jacob) Barbier and Mary Duprey family of France. It also includes Grant, Richardson, Darling, Smith and Boger families, with photos and copies of original documents.

The Bowen Record Book Images were made available through the generosity of Laura Baird Ray, daughter of Janice Nimke Baird who was the daughter of Caroline Miller Bowen Nimke. The original owner of this work was Herbert Bowen of Detroit, MI in 1892. This unique record book details the family and descendants of Richard Bowen. A number of way-points are created to provide direct access to sections of this largely handwritten work. To appreciate the document you are encouraged to browse through the images

Have you ever wondered what the weather was like in past years? There is a way to look at the average temperature for a month at a time beginning in 1895: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/. The Farmers’ Almanac website has the history of the weather each day going back to 1945: http://farmersalmanac.com/weather-history/. You can also get the history of the weather going back to the 1700s through the National Weather Service: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cdo-web/. The website only requires payment if you request a certified copy of the documentation. However, you will still need to make a selection and add it to your cart. When you check out, an email address is required in order to send the information. You will not get the information right away but they will email you when the information becomes available.

For more weather history, check out: http://www.weather.gov/timeline

Henson, Robert. Weather on the air: a history of broadcast meteorology. Boston (Mass.): American Meteorological Society, 2010.

Mergen, Bernard. Weather matters: an American cultural history since 1900. Lawrence, Kan.: University Press of Kansas, 2008.

Moore, Peter. The weather experiment: the pioneers who sought to see the future. London: Vintage, 2016.

Williams, James Thaxter. The history of weather. Commack, NY: Nova Science Publ., 1999.

We start with The Old Fort - 1816: Frontier Fort to Statehood, a bicentennial publication about the reconstructed Old Fort Wayne, which is located just across the St. Mary’s River from downtown Fort Wayne. This 16-page, booklet provides a history of the Fort of 1816 as well as the Reconstructed Fort, information about life in the area in 1816, a full-color 1817 map of Indiana, a sketch of Fort Wayne in 1816 and a nifty recipe for rhubarb custard pie!

Moving into the 20th Century, we have the 1983 History of the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, by Kathleen Kearns Brita. The Wayne Club and the Commercial Club merged to form the Greater Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce and construction began on the Wayne Street building in 1926. The history and photos tell just part of Fort Wayne’s great story!

We always love yearbooks, so next we have Hoagland School Yearbooks, 1957 and 1958. These are for the elementary school, and includes photos of the students by class, teachers photos, activities and an autograph section on which special friends wrote their names or pasted photographs.

Speaking of yearbooks, we also have the Fort Wayne Art School, Art Lights,1929 yearbook. It includes photos of various people connected with the Art School, as well as personal mementos of Anna Marie Woomer of Marion.

We also have an Exhibit Catalog: Of Growth and Form. The 1976 exhibit at the Allen County Public Library displayed various pieces of art in wood, as well as biographical information on the artists.

And thanks to Marsha Smiley, we also have a Scrapbook from the Bahai Community in Fort Wayne. The scrapbook includes photos, telegrams concerning the Dedication Service in 1943, newspaper clippings and various communiques. Thanks also to Marsha for continuing to collect Memorials of local African American residents. Due to a recent donation of 186 additional Memorials, there are now more than 2500 in the collection!

A few new items have been added to our growing General Electric Collection Page. This time they are press releases for February 13, 2017. G.E. was a huge employer in Fort Wayne in the 20th century, and our growing collection consists of archives, photographs and Elex Club materials.

And to end on a sweet note, we have Wayne Candies Business History, by Randy Harter. Wayne Candies made the beloved Bun Bars here in Fort Wayne and this short article, with a photo of the plant on East Berry, provides a concise account of the business transactions of the company through the twentieth century.

We have an interesting selection of items that have been added to our Free Databases recently.

Thanks to regular contributor, Jim Cox, there are a number of Adair County, Kentucky cemeteries now online to search or browse. These include the A. B. Turner Cemetery, A. Leach Cemetery, Abrell Cemetery, Absher Cemetery, Acree Cemetery, Adkins Cemetery, Allen Cemetery, Andrew Cemetery, and Asper-Yates Cemetery. All may be found at our Other States Databases page under Kentucky.

Finally, we have Washington: Baltimore and Ohio Guide, a 32-page tourism booklet for the District of Columbia, published by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1929. It contains visitors information and photos of many area attractions, including the Lincoln Memorial, Union Station, and the White House, as well as information on tour trips conducted by the railroad, a history of the B&O, and a listing and map of the locations of the railroad’s passenger ticket offices from New York and the east to Chicago and St. Louis. The photos alone are a fabulous treat!

The church records of Canton Bern, Switzerland, are among the most complete genealogical resources for any place in continental Europe. Many registers are unbroken back to the sixteenth century. Finding the appropriate register involves knowing the town where a family held citizenship or voting rights. Church registers, at least in theory, contained the record of the births, marriages, and deaths of all those that held hereditary citizenship in that town, even if they resided elsewhere. In most cases, church officials maintained separate registers for hereditary citizens who lived in the town and those living out-of-town (typically called “Auswärtige Bürger”). Sometimes a third set of registers were maintained for town residents who were not citizens (called “Ausbürger”).

For a number of decades the Family History Library has made the Canton Bern church registers available on microfilm for borrowing. Later, when the microfilms of the registers were digitized, Swiss officials placed restrictions on the images, making the digital versions viewable on Familysearch only to LDS Church members with valid logins or from computers specifically located in LDS Church libraries (not member public libraries). The late genealogist Lewis Rohrbach offered DVDs of the registers at expensive prices, but with his death and the closing of his publishing house, Picton Press, the DVDs are no longer available for sale. The lack of an easy way to view the registers has made it frustrating to Swiss researchers seeking full, convenient access to a large body of material.

Very recently the State Archives for Canton Bern has made the images of the records available free from its own website. To access the records, go to this link, and click on the small box with the plus-sign to the immediate left of the word “Kirchenbücher.” If the parish you want starts with the letters A through N, you will see a list displayed. If it falls later in the alphabet, click on “Open the next 100 entries,” and an additional 77 towns will appear. In either case, to view the options, click again on the tiny box with the plus-sign immediately to the left of the town you want to view. A list of specific books will appear with ranges of dates. Baptisms are included in books marked “Taufrodel,” marriages are in “Eherodel,” and deaths are in “Totenrodel.” Make note of the Auswärtige registers that recorded the out-of-town citizens. To view the records, double-click on the book you want. A further breakdown of the registers will appear, and you will have to click again on a separate link marked “PDF.” Once you do so, a file of the entire roll will display. Be patient for the download, since it is not instantaneous, especially for larger files.

The registers are still not indexed. Some names and vital record events can be searched separately through thelink to the International Genealogical Index (IGI), available on Familysearch. These references are not linked to specific images and represent only a fraction of the total names. However the IGI can sometimes be helpful for translating a particular surname, since some families in some towns have been extensively researched.

While we are unable to say when the registers will be made searchable for every name, the fact that they are available at all, freely online, makes this a happy day for genealogists researching this part of Switzerland. An added bonus is the easy access to the large collection Swiss coats of arms, called “Familienwappen,” also available from the archives’ website. These images display in full color and show the date and town where the arms were granted.

Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church Records, 1958-2004 is a data file contributed by Earle Swanson, and was also published in book form under the title “Gethsemane Family.” The data is from the Gethsemane Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1505 Bethany Lane, Fort Wayne. Each entry provides the congregant’s name, and varying information including birth date, place and parents’ names; baptism place, date and sponsor; confirmation date and place; marriage date, place and spouse; admission and/or release dates; and membership status.

We have another title abstract in Allen County, this one in the Elizabeth Hanna Addition, part of Lot 55. The abstract begins in 1824 and runs through 1980, and is a fascinating document for the history and biographical detail it includes.

Our last item is the City of Fort Wayne--Community Development Library. So far, it contains 852 documents consisting of 47,897 pages. With records dating back to the 1850s, the Community Development Library is a digitized collection of city government documents that cover a variety of subjects, with an emphasis on downtown development and revitalization, annexations, neighborhoods, urban planning and economic development. It also contains information on such diverse topics as flood control, transportation, housing and the environment. For anyone researching any aspect of history in Fort Wayne, this is an important resource. More will be added to this collection as it becomes available

We all have just as many female ancestors as we do male, but often women’s activities were considered too prosaic or unimportant to record. But many women lead vital, active lives. Commemorate Women’s History Month by attending our day devoted to examining some of these dynamic women. Sessions include:

10:00 AM, Discovery Center
Clubwomen and Music in Gilded Age Chicago: Frances Macbeth Glessner, Mozart, and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra - Melanie Bookout
Melanie Bookout examines the work of a major music patron, Frances Macbeth Glessner (1848-1932), patron and friend to many of the best musicians, artists, poets, and writers who lived or worked in Chicago. Glessner was an accomplished pianist, and her activities as clubwoman and patron offer a rich glimpse of music-making in “frontier” America.

11:30 AM, Discovery Center
Mommy, What Did You Do During the War? - Delia Bourne
How did women participate in the military efforts during war time in the United States? How did this change from one war to the next? Discover answers to these questions and how your female ancestors could have contributed to the military efforts through the years.

Have a brick wall in your research? Would you like a greater understanding of some aspect of your research? The Genealogy Center is offering 30-minute personal research consultations with a staff member on some troublesome aspect of your research, from 2PM to 4PM on Monday March 13, 2017 and Tuesday March 28, 2017. Call 260-421-1225 or send an email for an appointment, requesting a Consultation and providing basic information concerning the nature of your quandary. A staff member will be assigned and a time established for your Consultation. Be sure to bring your research notes to your consultation. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required. Register today!

Join us as we celebrate our version of March Madness as we investigate Out of the Box Genealogy – a full week of events and classes to improve your research skills and enhance your life! Events include:

Sunday, March 5, 2017, 1:00 PM, Discovery Center
Skeletons in the Closet: Discovering a Difficult Past - Matt LaFlash
Every family has skeletons in the closet. This case study addresses the challenges of uncovering a difficult past and examines the process used to identify the father of a girl born out of wedlock with only a profession and nationality as a starting point.

Monday, March 6, 2017, 6:30 PM, Discovery Center
What Doesn’t Kill Us: Historical Illnesses and Causes of Death - Delia Bourne
This is an overview of the medical conditions that plagued our ancestors and how to find what some of those causes of death listed in newspapers and on death records really meant.

Tuesday, March 7, 2017, 6:30 PM, Discovery Center
An Ancestor's Death -- A Time for Reaping - Curt Witcher
Typically, no other time in our ancestors’ lives is the record creation potential as high as it is at their deaths. This talk, complemented with many record examples, spotlights numerous “happenings” surrounding an individual’s death that can generate records.

Wednesday, March 8, 2017, 2:30 PM, Discovery Center
Using the Genealogical Proof Standard and DNA as Power Tools and Problem Solvers - John Beatty
This talk will discuss the various tenets of the Standard, show how to apply it in an actual case study, and show how both autosomal and mitochondrial DNA can be used to support or refute genealogical theories.

Thursday, March 9, 2017, 6:30 PM, Chapman’s Brewery Taproom, 819 South Calhoun Street,
Fort Wayne
Genealogy of Beer and Beer Styles with Chapman’s Brewing Co. - Allison DePrey Singleton and Chapman’s Brewing Co.
Discover the genealogy of beer and how the brewers’ home country influenced the style of beer they originally produced. The specifics of the beer itself will also be discussed: aromas, style, taste profile, things to consider when drinking, and how these have changed over time.

Friday, March 10, 2017, 2:30 PM, Discovery Center
Out of the Box Questions and the Methodology to Answering Them - Allison DePrey Singleton
What are some of the unusual questions the librarians at The Genealogy Center receive and how do we answer them? Come and find out the methodology for answering “out of the box” questions.

Saturday, March 11, 2017, 10:00 AM, Theater, Allen County Public Library
Moody, Tearful Night Come Alive - 30th Indiana Civil War Re-enactors, Inc.
Have you ever seen a statue come to life? This is your chance! “Moody, Tearful Night,” the statue at the entrance to The Genealogy Center will be brought to life by a group of talented re-enactors from the 30th Indiana. The last day of Lincoln’s life will be brought to life followed by the re-enactors answering your questions about what occurred that fateful day.

For more information, see our brochure. To register for any or all of these free events, call 260-421-1225 or email Genealogy@ACPL.Info.

Have you ever wondered just what some of those images are that we used in our flyer for Black History Month 2017? Let's take a look.

Susan Baptist, of Whitehaven, Tennessee, was a projectionist, showing training films for the troops as well as more popular motion pictures. At the time of this photo, taken by the U.S. Army Signal Corps for morale purposes, she had been in the WACS nine months and learned to operate the projector since enlisting. This image is part of the Visual Materials from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Records (Library of Congress). I was unable to find anything else about Ms. Baptist.

And finally, three African American women at a polling place, one looking at a book of registered voters, on November 5, 1957, in New York City or Newark, New Jersey. This image is from the digital collection at the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Read more about the challenges African Americans faced to vote in “Blackballed: the Black Vote and US Democracy,” by Darryl Pinckney.

Have you ever wondered just what some of those images are that we use on our advertising for Black History Month?. Let's take a look at some of the images used in the making of our flyer for Black History Month 2017.

The 369th Infantry Regiment, aka the Harlem Hellfighters, formerly known as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the United States Army National Guard during World War I and World War II (1913-1945). The Regiment consisted mainly of African Americans, though it also included a number of Puerto Rican Americans during World War II. It was the first African American regiment to serve with American forces in World War I. Before that, if an African-American wanted to fight, they would have to join the forces of France or Canada. This unit was given numerous nicknames: The Black Rattlers, the Men of Bronze and Hell Fighters.

In the beginning, the regiment was relegated to labor service duties instead of combat. On April 8, 1918, the unit was assigned to the French Army, and finally, on May 8, 1918, the 369th was sent to the trenches. From then on they fought. The unit was awarded two Medals of Honor and a regimental Croix de Guerre. The most celebrated man in the 369th was Pvt. Henry Johnson, a former Albany, New York, rail station porter, who earned the nickname "Black Death" for his actions in combat in France. “While on night sentry duty, May 15, 1918, Johnson and a fellow Soldier, Pvt. Needham Roberts, received a surprise attack by a German raiding party of at least 12 enemy soldiers.

“While under intense fire and despite his own wounds, Johnson kept an injured Needham from being taken prisoner. He came forward from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Wielding only a knife and gravely wounded, Johnson continued fighting until the enemy retreated.

“For his valor, Johnson became one of the first Americans to be awarded the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme, France's highest award for valor. Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1996. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002, with the official ceremony taking place in 2003.” (from the Army website.)

A reference question came to us recently about the author Stephen King and the exact location of his childhood residence in Fort Wayne, Indiana. King, who was born in Portland, Maine, in 1947, was the son of Donald and Nellie Ruth (Pilsbury) King. The father was born “Donald Pollock” in Peru, Indiana, and later changed the family name to King, and he separated from Stephen’s mother not long after Stephen’s birth. At the age of two Stephen moved to Delafield, Wisconsin, with his mother and brother, and later, about 1949, they came to Fort Wayne to live with relatives. But where specifically did they live?
David King, Stephen’s older brother, provides some sketches details in an account published in George Beahm’s Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror (p. 9). “After Wisconsin, we then went to live with my father’s sister Betty, and a lady she lived with named Rudy. We have a picture of that, too – Stevie and I sitting on a lawn in front of a house. That was in the Fort Wayne, Indiana, area. Aunt Betty was a schoolteacher … After that we lived in an apartment of our own in Fort Wayne … We shared the apartment with a number of cockroaches. It was an apartment house, but I’m not sure if it was a single-family dwelling or if there were a number of apartments in it.”
Most references to Stephen’s childhood lack specifics due to the family’s difficult economic circumstances. However, from the above account and other biographical references, we have enough information to identify Donald Pollock and his sister Betty on the 1920 census. Going forward and looking at the Fort Wayne city directories, we can locate Betty L. Pollock in 1951, living at 1227 Lake Avenue in Fort Wayne and working as a teacher at the Hamilton School. In 1954, she resided at 3529 Lake Avenue, then outside the city limits, and was teaching at the Hanna School. Undoubtedly, the Kings spent time at these two addresses, but the identity of their apartment house remains uncertain. The 1954 directory lists a Mrs. Ruth King living at 1234 Ewing Street, but this was a residence, not an apartment house, and it is not certain this was Stephen’s mother. The family later moved to Stratford, Connecticut.
It is worth noting that none of King’s residences are marked or celebrated in Fort Wayne’s historical literature. Perhaps more specific information will come to light about his time here. We were able to find an image of the 1227 Lake Avenue house. It is a multi-family home.

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we always create some kind of flyer, poster, slide, or advertisement. Have you ever wondered just what some of those images are that we use. Let's take a look at some of the images used in the making of our flyer for Black History Month 2017.

"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”
Malcolm Little, May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965, was also known as el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, but most of us are probably more familiar with him by another name: Malcolm X. Malsolm was an African-American Muslim minister, a human rights activist, and a controversial person. To some he was a courageous advocate for African-Americans, while others accused him of preaching racism and violence. In either case he was one of the most influential African Americans in our history. He was assassinated on February 21, 1965. Read more about him on Biography.com, U.S. History.org, or read “The Autobiography of Malcolm X, With the assistance of Alex Haley.” You can also view the Spike Lee movie Malcolm X.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
Martin Luther King Jr., January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968, was an American Baptist minister and activist who was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He used nonviolent disobedience to lead the civil rights struggle in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1964, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968. For more on his life, read “The Life of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Leader for Civil Rights,” by Michael Schuman.

As we celebrate Black History Month in February, we always create some kind of flyer, poster, slide, or advertisement. Have you ever wondered just what some of those images are that we use? Let's take a look at some of the images used in the making of our flyer for Black History Month 2017.

Mary Church Terrell, September 23, 1863 to July 24, 1954, was one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. She was a teacher and an activist for civil rights and suffrage, as well as a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1896, Terrell became the first president of the newly formed National Association of Colored Women.

On October 18, 1891, in Memphis, Church married Robert Heberton Terrell, a lawyer who became the first black municipal court judge in Washington DC. Her autobiography, “A Colored Woman in a White World,” is her autobiography, which she finished in 1940. She also lived to see the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education, holding unconstitutional the racial segregation of public schools.